Non Toxic Skin Cleansing

The soaps you use today are not your great-grandmothers
soap. Animal fats and lye have been replaced by a slew of chemicals to increase
lather, preserve the soap and make it smell good.

Since skin is one of three
routes that toxins enter your body, some of these chemicals can impact your
health.

Chemicals to Avoid in Skin Cleansing Products

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)/ BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)
- are used as preservatives in food and personal care products mainly
to prevent oils from becoming rancid. They
are carcinogens and endocrine system disrupters (interfere with important hormone functions).

Parabens – especially propylparaben, the most toxic. Used as preservatives in food and personal care products. Are potential endocrine system disruptors.

Cocamide DEA - a foaming agent in shampoos, soaps and body washes. Possible carcinogen, and combines with other chemicals to create carcinogenic nitrosamines.

DMDM Hydantoin – used as a preservative. It’s an allergen and formaldehyde releaser. This means that it
reacts with other chemicals in skin cleansing products to create and release a
carcinogen.

Phthalates – Phthalates are used as
solvents and to increase spreadability and skin absorption in skin care
products. Any product with fragrance will likely have
phthalates. They are endocrine disruptors, allergens and asthmagens and
cause inflammation.

Retinol – there are many
forms of retinol, like retinol acetate, retinoic acid, retinol linoleate and retinyl palmitate used in skin
care products. Some forms, in combination with sunlight, increases skin
cancer risk.

Toxic Bar Soaps

If you look at all the chemicals that are in most personal care
products, bar soap is certainly not the most toxic. Even the worst offenders, like
Dove Pink Beauty Bars, pose only a moderate hazard.

Were you surprised that
Dove is one of the worst? Me too! But in fairness, their sensitive skin line is
much less toxic. Zest and Ivory soaps aren’t too bad and if they would just
remove fragrance from their formulas they would be less toxic options.

But, deodorant soaps, and medicated soaps can be very toxic and should be avoided. Some of
them, like Cetaphil, Palmer’s and Dial contain Triclosan.

Triclosan is such a
toxic antibacterial agent that most companies have stopped using it. It’s an
endocrine disruptor, toxic to your immune system and it can lead to impaired learning and memory, exacerbate allergies,
and weaken muscle function.

In late 2016 the FDA banned the use of triclosan in liquid, foam and gel hand
soaps, bar soaps, and body washes. However, it won’t be phased out of products
until late 2017. And, it's very likely that any chemical substitutes for triclosan, like Benzalkonium chloride, will also be toxic.

Nontoxic Options

There are plenty of nontoxic soaps available though, so why not
avoid exposure to fragrance, BHT, cocamide DEA, and carcinogenic formaldehyde.

Toxic Body Washes

While most soaps are relatively safe, body washes are a whole different
story. Changing soap from a solid to a liquid and keeping it liquified and
emulsified means adding lots of chemicals. Plus, anything containing water
means lots of preservatives to keep bacteria at bay.

For example, Body Shop Shower
Gel contains 12 chemicals, including five different parabens, that pose a
moderate to high toxin hazard. Oil of Olay uses Acrylonitrile, a lung and
skin toxicant and possible carcinogen,
in its body washes.

Most body washes, including Oil of
Olay also contain Methylisothiazolinone is a preservative
associated with allergic reactions. Lab studies on the brain cells of mammals
also suggest that methylisothiazolinone may be neurotoxic. It's also a known human immune toxicant and allergen.

I also want to point out how misleading brand names and
labels can be. Village Naturals Body Wash, which sounds wonderfully pure and
safe, does contain a lot of herbs and essential oils. But according to EWG, the
chemicals in this body wash offer a high concern for biochemical and cellular
level changes and multiple additive exposure sources.

Non Toxic Body Washes

The best non toxic solution to body washes is to STOP using
them. I never really understood the appeal. In addition to all the chemicals in
them they make my wash cloth slimy.

Toxic Facial Cleansers

Facial cleansers promise us so many things. Using them can
reduce pore size, clear up break-outs, soften skin, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, they also provide multiple toxic exposure sources and synthetic estrogens.

In addition to BHT, fragrance, and propylparaben, some faces
washes contain 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-Dil. A name that long can’t be good,
and in fact this chemical is a carcinogen and a formaldehyde and nitrosamine
releaser (also carcinogens).

Non Toxic Facial
Cleansers

I pair this cleanser with a Konjac Facial Sponge. You won't believe how soft your skin feels afterwards.

One thing to remember when you switch to natural cleansers - they don't lather like products you're used to using. That's because it takes added toxic chemicals to make that rich creamy lather.

For dry and/or mature skin, cleansing oils by Badger are a good option. It’s also
really easy to make your own cleansing oils and other non toxic face cleansers.

They are simple and fun to make and you can customize them for your
skin. Plus it’s cheaper to make your own. For some recipes to get you started
check out Homemade Face Cleansers.

Because there are many non toxic natural cleansing products
available it's easy to reduce the toxins your skin absorbs during your
cleansing routine. Check the ingredients list on the products you use for the
chemicals covered in this article. They don’t belong on your skin, so if
they're in your soaps, consider trying natural, non toxic alternatives to Be
Healthy and Stay Healthy.

Disclosure: Some of the links in the page above may be "affiliate links." This
means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an
affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal
Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Nontoxic for Health is also a participant in the
Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising
and linking to amazon.com.